Crystal River current., 1887-03-19
AFAMous ORATOR.
RecoIlections of Sergeant 9. Prsntfsa,
the Noted Southern Lawyer.

A NUMBER OF ST6y-nalreu citlzen9
have stood in front of the painted like
ness of Sergeant S. Prentiss, now on
exhibition in the counting-room OF
The New Orleans Pic0ysi,se, admired
it's faithfulness to life. and recalled
scenes in the life of the gifted orator
and great lawyer.
Recently reporter saw standing be-
fore the picture of Prentiss venerable
looking gentleman, and there was
something more than mere curiosity in
tho eve Of the looker-on. The specta-
tor was Hon. NJ. M. Cohen, the Oldest
and one of the most prominent practic-
ing lawyers at the New Orleans bar.
s,Do you remember much about
Prentissp" asked the reporter.
my intimate personal ACQUAINTANCE
with the distinguished lawyer and
orator embraced but few years., re-
piled Mr.. Cohen. 81 recollect that Mr..
Prentiss came to live lin New Orleans
in 1S45 and died in 1850. Before that.
in 1885, remember that Mr.. Prentiss
was invited to address our citizens at
the St. Charles theater. which was se-
lected TO accommodate the ladies' and
numerous admirers who were anxious
to hear him. In his eloquent address
on that occasion Mr.. Prentiss said:
The ladiesp God bless them! .Iwould
bind up nv brightest and best thoughts
into bouquets and throw them at their
feet. The ladies of Poland threw their
Jewels into the famished treasury OF
their bleeding country. Our grand
mothers, having no jewels, nodded
their pewter spoons into bullets to fight
the battles OF the Revolution. This
speech was so greatly admired that, in
order to again enjoy an eloquence SO
rich and rare public dinner was given
to him. In 1874 whig mass conven-
tion was held in New Orleans. which
was addressed bv Mr.. Prentiss in his
usual brilliant style. This speech was
likewise so much admired that he had.
by request, to deliver another in the
Arcade. The members of the conven-
ton. in procession, marched to the st.
Charles hotel to pay their tribute of
admiration to their great leader, Mr..
Clay. He made brief address and re-
tired. Mr.. Prentiss, who had been
perceived by the throng. was vocif
erously called for. Mr.. Prentss, point
ing to Mr.. Clay. only said: Fellow
citizens, when the eagle is soaring in
the sky the owls and the bats retire to
their holes and he disappeared.
"a public meeting was held at
Clapp's church to procure funds for
statue of Franklin. An address was
delivered by Richard Henry Wilde, an
eloquent Irishman, an able lawyer, and
the well-known author of the popular
piece. entitled 'My Life is Like Sum-
mer Rose. Mr.. Prentiss was awaken
ed from nap at the st. Charles hotel,
and was carried to the meeting, which
he addressed in rapturous strains of ell
oquence He concluded by saying that
specimens of art would soon abound
where he now saw SO many lovely spe-
cimens of nature.
I'm 1915 Mr.. Prentiss delivered
brilliant and glowing address before
the New England society, of New Or
that carried Caesar had an ignoble
At subsequent meeting of the same
society, after the lamented death of
Mr.. Prentiss a toast was offered to his
memory. This was responded to by
one whose remarks were only conspic-
uous for the absence of all that luni-
nous wit and glorious eloquence which
the mere name of the beloved Prentiss
brought back to our memories.
''ln 1S47 II public meeting was called
by the citizens of New Orleans in aid
of the starving Irish. / remember
that Mr. Prentiss concluded his touch
ing address on that occasion in the fol-
lowing words: Go home and look at
your family smiling in rosy health, and
| then think of the pale, famine pinched
,, cheeks of the poor children of Ireland.
and know you will give according to
your store even as Providence has
given to you.' At the time of this ten
der and feeling appeal Mr.. Prentiss was
every moment expecting to hear of the
death of his eldest sister. In fact she
died few days after.
I'm 1848 heard Mr.. Prentiss argue
n case before Judge Strawbridge.
When it was concluded, all aglow with
intense admiration for MIR. Prentiss, /
asked the Judge, who had heard Mr..
Prentiss for the first time, what his
honor thought of himP He replied:
1 was greatly disappointed In great
dismay. asked the judge in what re-
spect he was disappointed. He an
swered: 4 had heard Prentiss spoken
Of as great orator; found him to be
great lawyer. Where I expected
flowers of fancy and ornimental figures
of speech. glittering trophies and met
aphors, he gave me profound, able, and
learned argument
Il recall, among other instances, two
| Illustrations of Mr.. Prentiss wit. Ono
was that, on asking Mr.. Prentiss why
| New Orleans was called the Crescent
city, he answered that the crescent
moon had her horns and some people
in this city like to take horn. Anoth-
| er instance was when, in 1850, he said
that he was carefully dieting, and that
pastry, fruit.--especially apples, are
naata prohibita. Now>you know, naaia
is the Latin for apples and also for
evils. Mala prohtbita is a law term
signifying evils prohibited by law.
"Mr. Prentiss was genius, but this
is not the time and place to discuss the
question whether Button was right when